EU citizens’ verdict on Brussels: Good for peace but out of touch

Europeans give the EU good marks for promoting peace and prosperity, but aren't impressed with Brussels' approach to refugees and Brexit.

That's what the Pew Research Center found when it asked people in 10 EU member countries — Poland, Spain, Germany, the Netherlands, France, Sweden, Italy, Hungary, the United Kingdom and Greece — about their views on the EU.

According to the survey, a majority of Europeans (a median of 62 percent) hold positive views of the EU. Even in Poland and Hungary, whose governments have recently been at odds with Brussels over rule-of-law concerns, a majority of respondents approve of the EU: 57 percent in Hungary, and in Poland, 72 percent — by far the highest approval ratings among the 10 countries surveyed.

The EU's approval rating fell below 50 percent in only two of the 10 countries: the U.K. — where 48 percent expressed a favorable view, reflecting the Brexit referendum split — and Greece, where just 37 percent of people surveyed have a positive opinion of the EU.

Yet while a majority of respondents said the EU promotes peace, prosperity and democratic values, they also see Brussels as out of touch and inefficient. A median 62 percent said the EU "does not understand the needs of its citizens."

Meanwhile, as the default date for Britain's exit from the EU draws closer, the poll found that nearly two-thirds (a median of 62 percent) do not think the EU handled Brexit well. Less than half approve of the EU's approach to economic issues.

On the economy and Brexit, attitudes vary from country to country: About half of Germans approve of the EU's approach to these issues, for instance, while only a third of Spaniards do.

Regarding refugee policies, however, most Europeans believe the EU has not handled the issue well. The Dutch hold the most generous view, with 37 percent believing the EU has handled refugee matters well. In Germany, 27 percent approve, while in Greece, one of the countries on the frontline of the refugee crisis, no more than 7 percent approve.

The Pew survey uncovered further mixed attitudes toward immigration and asylum when respondents were asked about specific measures.

A median of 77 percent of respondents said they support taking in refugees, with more than 80 percent of people in Spain, the Netherlands, Germany and Sweden are ready to welcome refugees. But only 49 percent in Poland and 32 percent in Hungary agree. Similarly, just 5 percent of Hungarians said they believe immigrants are making their country stronger, compared to 62 percent in the U.K. and Sweden.

A median of 64 percent of Europeans who participated in the poll approve of encouraging highly skilled immigrants to come to their countries. Yet about half said immigrants "want to be distinct from our society" and 57 percent said immigrants increase the risk of terrorism.

Half of Europeans said their countries should allow in fewer immigrants or none at all. That percentage was highest in Greece (82 percent) and lowest in Spain (30 percent). In Germany, 58 percent want less or no immigration, compared to 52 percent in Sweden and 41 percent in France.

In Southern and Central Europe, the survey also revealed anxiety about emigration: Some 89 percent of Greeks, 88 percent of Spaniards and 80 percent of people in both Hungary and Italy described citizens leaving their country to seek opportunities abroad as a problem. In more prosperous Northern and Western European countries such as Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden, emigration is less of a concern.

Besides migration, many Europeans also worry about their economic future, the survey found. In Greece, Italy, Spain, France and the U.K., a majority of respondents said the financial situation in their country has worsened for average people compared with 20 years ago.

Most Europeans (a median of 58 percent across the 10 countries) said they believe their children will be financially worse off in the future — with the sole exception of Poland, where 59 percent saw prosperous years ahead for the next generation.